Piano-playing mechanism.



'F.- H. LAUBACH.

PIANO PLAYING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-24. 1917.

Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1- F. H. LAUNCH.

I PIANO PLAYING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-24. 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- "ms NORRIS PE'rsRs m, PHOTO-LUNG" wumncm'u, n c

F. H. LAUBACH.

PIANO PLAYING MECHAMSM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-24. I917.

Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEE-T 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. j

FRANZ II. LAUBACH, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO LYON & HEALY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PIANO-PLAYING- MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 24, 1917. Serial No. 192,843.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANZ H. LAUBAOH, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Oak Park, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Piano-Playing Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in piano playing mechanism, and particularly to mechanism for enablingthe piano to be operated during both the forward and return movement of the music sheet. n

In piano players, and especially in automatic players where a number of distinct selections are embodied in a single music sheet, the objection is met that there was a considerable loss of time in re-winding the sheet, during which time the piano playing mechanism is not operating. Attempts have been made to overcome this objection by providing separate mechanism for operating the playing mechanism on the return movement of the sheet as well as on the forward movement. My invention relates to improvements in the meansso employed, and consists primarily in the employment of a single set of pneumatics which are operated both on the forward and the return movement of the music sheet. By such construction, I obtain the advantages of having the mechanism operated during both movements of the music sheet without unduly increasin the amount of apparatus employed.

ore specifically, my invention relates to the provision of two air chambers which cooperate with each pneumatic, one of these air chambers being rendered operative to control the pneumatics during one movement of the music sheet, while the other chamber is rendered operative to control the pneumatics during the other movement of the music sheet.

These and other features and objects of my invention will be more readily understood'by having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated one specific embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an end of a piano embodying the features of my invention,'with the end of the casing removed so as to more clearly show the inte or mech nism and music sheet 7 are mounted in a suitable box 5 mounted within the casing of the piano. The tracker-board 6, as shown in Fig. 2, is divided into two sections, each section consisting of a complete set of ducts or openings, preferably eighty-eight in number, for controlling the various notes of the piano. If desired, instead of having these two sections of the tracker-board mounted as a single unit, two separate tracker-boards could be employed. Cooperatin with this tracker-board is the music sheet which is mounted on the two spools 8 andS). In order to drive thesespools, I have shown the usual form of air motor 10, which drives the shaft 11, which is adapted tobe operatively connected to either one of the spools 8 01: 9 through the medium of the reversing clutch 12. The spool 8 is operatively connected by means of the chain drive 13, while the spool 9 is connected by means of the gears 14: in such a manner that the two spools are driven inopposite directions and at the same speed.

In order to control the operation of the various actions, I provide two separate air chambers 15 and 16, either one of which is adapted to be connected with a suitable vacuum pump 17 through the medium of the air pipes 18 and 19. These two pipes 18 and 19 are adapted to be alternately connected to the pipe 20 which extends to the vacuum pump 17 through the medium of a master valve 21, controlled by the double pneumatic 22. One side of this pneumatic is connected, through the medium of the tube 23, to the valve 24, while the other side of the pneumatic is connected, through the medium of the tube 25, to the valve 26. These two valves are controlled by means of the pouches 27 and 28 in the well known means a d o t l the nne t-en between the tubes 23 and 25 and the vacuum tube 29 which leads to the vacuum pump 17. These two pouches 27 and 28 are controlled through the medium of ducts located at the extreme ends of the tracker-board, the pouch 27 being controlled through the duct 30 at the left-hand end of the tl'tlCkBl'-bOftl'Cl, which is connected to the chamber immediately below the pouch by means of the tube 31, which tube is connected with the vacuum tube 29 by means of the bleed Similarly, the pouch 28 is controlled by means of the duct 33 at the right-hand end of the trackerboard. Connected in multiple with the double pneumatic 22, there is another double pneumatic 3lthat is, one side of this pneumatic is connected with the tube 23, and the other side of this pneumatic is connected with the tube 25, and thus these two pneumatics 22 and 3e are operated simultaneously when an opening in the music sheet registers with either one of the ducts 30 or 33 in the tracker-board. This double pneumatic 31 is for the purpose of reversing the travel of the music sheet, being operatively connected with the reversing clutch 12 through the medium of the levers and 36 and rack 37. lVith this construction, when the clutch 12 is operated to reverse the travel of the music sheet, the master valve 21 is likewise operated so as to shift the vacuiun connection from one air chamber of the pneumatics to the other.

Associated with these two chambers, I provide a series of pneumatics of novel construct-ion, for the purpose of controlling the actions. As shown in Fig. 3, each of these pneumatics comprises a bellows 38 provided with an extension 31, which cooperates with the pintle 40 for operating the action in the well known manner. This bellows is carried by the lower section 41 of the pneumatic which is provided with a. central recess 42 covered by the pouch 43. Similarly, the upper section of the pneumatic is provided with a central recess 44: closed by the pouch 45. Intermediate these two sections there is a central section i6 which carries the valve e8, provided with oppositely extending studs '-l9 and 50 for cooperating with the corresponding pouches. The bellows 38 is connected to the valve lS through the passageway 51. The lower section of the pneumatic is connected with the air chamber 16 through the passage-way 52, while the upper section of the pneumatic is connected with the air chamber 15 through the passage-way 53. Connected with the lower section of the pneumatic below the poucl14-3, is a tube 54 which extends to one of the ducts on the right-hand section of the tracker. Likewise, extending from the upper section of the pneumatic above the pouch 45, there is a corresponding tube 55 which extends to the corresponding duct on the left-hand section of the tracker-board. Thus it will be seen that each section of the tracker-board is provided with a duct, and a tube leading therefrom, to each one of these double pouch pneumatics. The usual bleeds 56 and 57 are pro vided for connecting these tubes with the vacuum.

The operation of my device is as follows: Assuming that the music sheet has reached the position shown in Fig. 2, and is traveling downward, as indicated in the arrow, and the opening-58in the sheet is approaching the corresponding duct in the trackerboard: As soon as this opening engages with this duct, the air rushes in through the corresponding tube and raises the pouch 27, thus raising the corresponding valve 21, and connecting the left-hand Side of the double pneum'atics and 34; with the vacuum. These two pneumatics are accordingly collapsed and the pneumatic 34 operates to shift the clutch 12 so as to reverse the direction of travel of the music sheet, while the double pneumatic 22 operates to move the master valve 21 to the right into the dotted line position, thus shifting the vacuum connection fromthe air chamber 15 to the air chamber 16. As the music sheet starts to travel in the reverse direction, the perforations in the sheet which engage with the ducts on the left-hand section of the tracker-board will have no effect on the mechanism, as the ducts on this side of the tracker-board are connected with the air chamber 15, which, during this movement of the sheet, are not connected to the vacuum but connected to the outside air at the master valve 21. When the perforations in the opposite side of the sheet, however, come inengagement with the corresponding ducts on the right-hand section of the tracker-board, the air rushes through these ducts and through the corresponding tubes 54 so as to raise the corre sponding pouch 4L3 of the pneumatic, thus raising the pintle valve 49 and connecting the bellows of the pneumatic to vacuum through the passage 62 and airchamber 16, thus collapsing the pneumatic and operating the action. Similar operations continue throughout the movement of the music sheet in this direction until the opposite end of the sheet is reached. At that time, an opening in the paper, which corresponds tothe opening 58, will come into engagement with the duct 33 in the tracker-board, and when this occurs the air rushes through the corresponding tube and raises the pouch 28, thus operating the valve 26 so as to connect the opposite or right-hand sections of the double pneumatics 22 and 3l to vacuum. These two sections,having been expanded through the previous movement of these pneumatics, are

now collapsed-and the reversing clutch 12 tion, which are connected to the air chamber 15, are operative to control the operation of the various double pouch pneumatics, while engagement between the openings in the music sheet with the ducts in the right-hand section of the trackerboard have no efiect during this period, as the air chamber 16 is not connected to vacuum during this period.

This playing of the instrument will. continue as long as the power is applied, or until the clutch 12 is thrown into neutral position by manually moving the rod 27.

It will thus be seen that I have devised a very efficient structure for enabling the playing mechanism to be operated during both the forward and reverse movement of the music sheet, and that this is accomplished by the employment of but a single set of pneumatics which are of the double pouch type and controlled through the medium of a master valve, so that either the upper or lower pouch may be rendered eiiective. In this way, I am enabled to control the mechanism through both the forward and reverse movement of the music sheet without increasing the number of pneumatics, as each pneumatic is operative during both the forward and return movement of the music sheet, being controlled in one instance through one pouch, and in the other instance through the other pouch.

While I have illustrated and described one particular embodiment of my invention, it

will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown and described, as various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the Spirit of my invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In piano playing mechanism, a series of pneumatics and two air chests, means for bringing each of said pneumatics into connection with either one of said air chests, a vacuum supply, and a master valve for connecting one or the other of said air chests to said vacuum supply.

2. In piano playing mechanism, a music sheet, a series of pneumatics and two air chests, means for bringing each of said pneumatics into connection with either one of said air chests, a vacuum supply, a master valve for connecting one or the other of said air chests to said vacuum supply, and means controlled from the music sheet for operating said master valve.

I 3; In'piano playing mechanism, a traveling music sheet, a series of pneumatics and two air chests, means for bringing each of said pneumatics into connection with either one of said air chests, a vacuum supply, a

master valve for connecting one or the other of said air chests to said vacuum supply,

means for reversing the travel of the music sheet and at the same time operatin said master valve so as to shift said vacuum connection from one to the other of said air chests. I

' 4. In a piano playing mechanism, a series of piano actions, a series of pneumatics for controlllng said piano actions, two

air chests operatively associated therewith, means for connecting one or the other of said chests to vacuum, a traveling music sheet, and means for reversing the travel of said music sheet and simultaneously shifting the vacuum connection from one to the other of said chests. I

5. In a piano playlng mechamsm, a series of piano actions, a series of pneumatics for controlling said piano actions, two air chests operatively associated therewith, means for driving a music sheet in a forward and return direction, and means for rendering one or the other of said air chests effective to control said pneumatics dependent on the direction of travel of the music sheet.

6. In piano playing mechanism, a tracker board divided into two sections, a series of pneumatics each provided with two pouches, a connection from each section of the trackerboard to each pneumatic, the duct in one section of said tracker-board being adapted to control the operation of one pouch of the pneumatic, and the duct in the other section of the tracker-board being adapted to control the operation of the other pouch of the pneumatic.

7. In piano playing mechanism, a trackerboard divided into two sections, a series of pneumatics each provided with two pouches, a connection from each section of the trackerboard to each pneumatic, the ducts in one section of said tracker-board being adapted to control the operation of one pouch of the pneumatic, and the ducts in other section of the tracker-board being adapted to control the operation of the other pouch of the pneumatic, and means for autopneumatic, the ducts in one section of said tracker-board being adapted to control the operation of one pouch of the pneumatic during the travel of the music sheet in one direction, and the ducts in the other section of the tracker-board being adapted to control the operation of the other pneumatic during the travel of the music sheet in the reverse direction.

9. In piano playing mechanism, a trackerboard divided into two sections, a traveling music sheet, means for automatically reversing the travel of the music sheet, a series of pneumatics each provided with two pouches, a connection from each section of the tracker-board to each pneumatic, the ducts in one section of said tracker-board being adapted to operate one pouch of the pneumatic, during the travel of the music in .one direction, and the ducts in the other section of the tracker-board being adapted to operate the other pouch of the pneumatic during the travel of the music sheet in the reverse direction.

10. In piano playing mechanism, a tracker-board divided into two sections, a series of neumatics each provided with two pouches, a connect-ion from each section of the trackenboard to each pneumatic, the ducts in one section of said tracker-board being adapted to operate one pouch of the pneumatic, and the ducts in the other section of the tracker-board being adapted to operate the other pouch of the pneumatic,

' one of said air chests.

12. In piano playing mechanism, a tracker-board divided into two sections, a series of pneumatics each provided with two pouches, a connection from each section of the tracker-board to each pneumatic, the ducts in one section of said tracker-board being adapted to operate one pouch of the pneumatic, and the ducts in the other section of the tracker-board being adapted to operate the other pouch of the pneumatic, two air chests, means for bringing each of said pneumatics into connection with either one of said air chests, a vacuum supply, and a master valve for connecting one or the other of said air chests to said vacuum supply.

Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this 18th day of September, 1917.

FRANZ H. LAUBACH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commluloner of Iltentl, Wellington, 20. 0. 

